Long COVID?

[AmyPJ]

This fng plague just keeps on giving. Latest lung function test & xrays show more lung scaring even after 2.5yrs.
Waiting for a CT scan to determine extent of my pulmary fibrosis which developed after COVID Delta pneumonia, followed by scarring of 1/3 of my lungs.

Was doing pretty good, recovering at a slow grinding pace, then 7 hits of COVID Omicron with minor cold symptoms. Now this.

I am so sorry to hear this. Am I reading that you have had Omicron 7 times? Or been vaccinated 7 times? Because if you've contracted it 7 times, I'd be hunting down a study of those who seem more prone to contracting it. I have an in-law who's had it 3x, but they recover every time.

 

[LiquidFeet]

This fng plague just keeps on giving. Latest lung function test & xrays show more lung scaring even after 2.5yrs.
Waiting for a CT scan to determine extent of my pulmary fibrosis which developed after COVID Delta pneumonia, followed by scarring of 1/3 of my lungs.

Was doing pretty good, recovering at a slow grinding pace, then 7 hits of COVID Omicron with minor cold symptoms. Now this.

Sucks. Sorry.

 

[Paul Lutes]

Regarding antacids and mouth rinse.
I've long wondered if antacids are harmful to overall gut health for a very long time. I don't take antacids but then I've never really had a reason to need them.

I do, however take daily supplements that help improve my overall gut health.
I drink a small glass of cranberry juice and apple cider vinegar in the morning and a multibiotic that was prescribed to me by a doctor. (along with vitamin D/K and fishoil)

The labs after radiation showed signs of diminished d and k, which is when my Dr prescribed these specific supplements for me.

I've been on a proton pump inhibiter and large quantities of antacids for many years, but 3 weeks ago stopped both pretty much cold turkey, after hiatal hernia surgery. I'm curious to see how my lower gut reacts to the changes. Might try a probiotic, although they've not provided any improvement in the past. Seems counter-intuitive to be adding more acid to my admittedly structurally induced excess acid issues.

 

[geepers]

This fng plague just keeps on giving. Latest lung function test & xrays show more lung scaring even after 2.5yrs.
Waiting for a CT scan to determine extent of my pulmary fibrosis which developed after COVID Delta pneumonia, followed by scarring of 1/3 of my lungs.

Was doing pretty good, recovering at a slow grinding pace, then 7 hits of COVID Omicron with minor cold symptoms. Now this.

That just sux.

 

[eok]

The first covid variant hit me very hard at the beginning of the pandemic. I was quite sick for about 1.5 months. It started out like a mild cold, then around day 6 or so it was like the covid train to hell. Then after seemingly kicking the infection, I went for months experiencing episodes of mild symptoms and major fatigue. The episodes would last a few days of so and then fade away over a few more days. Time between episodes was about 1-2 weeks. Each episode was somewhat less impactful than the previous. Eventually, vaccines became available (the two dose regime). After getting my 1st shot the cycle of diminishing symptom episodes ended. But...

I unexpectedly discovered I had thyroid & some benign heart rhythm issues. It took months to get the thyroid sorted out and on a treatment plan (typical hypothyroid). Heart rhythm resolved after several months. Hypothyroid was supposedly partly to blame. Anyway, I just walked more and cut my coffee consumption dramatically. It's inconclusive the thyroid issue was an after-effect of covid. Technically possible but no way to really prove it.

Fastforward...

Came down with Omicron around May 2023. Lasted a couple weeks, no lasting symptoms but kicked my butt. Then, suddenly, I could no longer tolerate statins. I was experiencing escalating tendon pain all over. I hit the panic button when both my Achilles were so bad I literally could not walk. So, I was taken off statins. In exchange, I do plain oatmeal every AM and - when I eat a rich meal - I take a Red Yeast Rice tablet. Basically, sticking to a low fat diet. I'm due for a lipid panel soon to confirm it's working - but my numbers were not bad before.

This summer I felt I was getting close to my pre-covid fitness. Best I've felt in years. Just eating right, staying active and getting good sleep.

Fastforward...

Last week (11/18), I tested positive for covid. My wife is fine and continues to test negative.

We had just previously got the updated booster, but it hadn't been long enough for max effect. This time it was like a bad cold for for me for 5 days, with periods of elevated pulse (80-95BPM), mild chest involvement and weird pain in the shoulders. Also, during the worst of it I had some heart rhythm issues off an on. Thanksgiving was day 6 and that's when symptoms (except for being pooped) completely faded away. Feeling great today. Starting light exercise again.

I was pretty impressed how well I was able to fight off this variant this time around. The worst part of the infection was just three days - with the evenings being the worst.

Nonetheless, after my first brush with the first covid variant, I remain paranoid about it doing something unpredictable. If I remain good for the next couple weeks I'll relax.

 

[VickiK]

Podcast on EBOO, blood oxygenation, ozone blood treatment: Also on iTunes.

 

[UGASkiDawg]

I've been on a proton pump inhibiter and large quantities of antacids for many years, but 3 weeks ago stopped both pretty much cold turkey, after hiatal hernia surgery. I'm curious to see how my lower gut reacts to the changes. Might try a probiotic, although they've not provided any improvement in the past. Seems counter-intuitive to be adding more acid to my admittedly structurally induced excess acid issues.

How is the recovery from this surgery going. I was going to have it right before Covid started but was struggling to find the time I wanted to be down for a few weeks. Interested in how it's been for you so far.

 

[Paul Lutes]

How is the recovery from this surgery going. I was going to have it right before Covid started but was struggling to find the time I wanted to be down for a few weeks. Interested in how it's been for you so far.

So far (3+ weeks post-op) it's going exceedingly well. One of the hardest things to get used to was accepting the new reality of absolutely no GERD symptoms at all, no matter how hard I tried! Wish I'd done it 5 years ago. Probably my having had 2 major abdominal surgeries previously helped significantly in knowing what to expect physically. Spent one night in recovery, was home and comfortably ambulatory within 36 hours. I had one significant bout of "boulder in the esophagus", probably from swallowing too large a bolus and/or too many smaller swallows spaced too closely together. Liquid diet for 10 days (was supposed to be 14, but the monotony was too much), soft foods for 5, and then began easing slowly into regular food. I did make the mistake of continuing my pre-surgery regular intake of psyllium and flax seed meal - lower GI was suddenly producing enough gas to float the Hindenburg.

Feel free to PM me if you have further questions.

 

[VickiK]

My Covid infection was bad, but did not require hospitalization. I returned to normal exercise slowly. I think I'm back to where I used to be, but I've never been consistent about it anyway. I do notice that a hard workout might bring on fatigue for the rest of the day. That's new to me but then again I'm older & fatter.

I agree with @AmyPJ -- I wouldn't be surprised to see more dementia & autoimmune disease. It is so sad to read about LC issues. It really does suck.

 

[geepers]

Worth a look for a reasonably brief overview.

 

[Don in Morrison]

I was in the hospital 9 days in October 2020. Since then all subsequent encounters with COVID amounted to nothing more than a mild cold. After the first infection, I didn't ski until March 2021, and then only 3 days for that season. I never lost my sense of taste, but for two years. Coke and Pepsi both tasted really weird.

 

[VickiK]

It's not a myth, not psychosomatic, not due to age, fitness, or gender. Peoples' lives have been upended & careers de-railed.

 

[RoninSkier]

It's not a myth, not psychosomatic, not due to age, fitness, or gender. Peoples' lives have been upended & careers de-railed.

These UFC fighters are not pussies. If they can get hit hard by long COVID anyone can.
Its not youve had trauma, its in your head nonsense.
Just keep physical health & fitness data -
O2 saturation, HR, blood pressure
Regular fitness stress stress test - w/o sending yourself over the cliff

Its not a sprint, not a marathon its a ultra marathon

5 UFC fighters who suffered badly after contracting COVID-19

Ever since it started in early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive effect on the world, and the UFC has been no exception.

www.sportskeeda.com

 

[scott43]

Some info on long COVID study.. Most noteworthy exercise will actually damage your muscles so take it easy..

Long Covid causes changes in body that make exercise debilitating – study

Experts say severe muscle damage, mitochondrial problems and microclots may explain impact of working out

www.theguardian.com

 

[Andy Mink]

Some info on long COVID study.. Most noteworthy exercise will actually damage your muscles so take it easy..

Long Covid causes changes in body that make exercise debilitating – study

Experts say severe muscle damage, mitochondrial problems and microclots may explain impact of working out

www.theguardian.com

That sounds oh so familiar. Fortunately, my long Covid symptoms seem to be dissipating. The need for abnormally frequent and long naps has passed. I don't feel zonked for a day or more after even minor exertion. This isn't too say I'm in great shape but at least now I feel like I can work towards getting into better shape. So, I know that this can last for over 1½ years but there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

 

[SBrown]

So, this made me think of something. I am not going back through this whole thread, but does anyone here take a NAD+ booster? That stuff about mitochondria etc in those studies on long Covid made me think of this. Obviously all of this is 100% anecdotal to a sample size of 1, but ... I have been puzzled by my inability to catch Covid. I have not taken any great measures against it, besides being current on vaccinations and boosters. I don't mask unless forced to. My daily life does not put me in crowds of people often, and I'm not a fan of crowds anyway, but I don't worry too much about it. The thing is, I usually catch EVERYthing. My respiratory health has been the best it's ever been during the past 3 or 4 years. I did get bronchitis a year ago, finally, and coughed a bit all last January, but it wasn't serious. Historically, I get bronchitis at least once and usually twice a year. (Back story: my lungs aren't great, I had pneumonia twice in less than 2 years when I was a young teenager; the second time I was quite ill, so I'm pretty proactive when I start getting a cold or anything that could sit in my lungs.)

It's been a bit of a mystery to me, although my father, brother, and niece have also so far not caught it (or at least not tested positive when getting a virus, to be specific), thus I've assumed there is some sort of genetic ... thing going on. But that article made me think about the fact that I have also been taking Tru Niagen for about the same 3 or 4 years that I haven't had respiratory illnesses. NAD+ is supposed to help with mitochondria and inflammation, among other stuff. So I poked around a little and yes there are studies about it, eg https://www.cell.com/trends/immunology/fulltext/S1471-4906(22)00025-4 .

Dunno, maybe it can help. Of course,

 

[scott43]

I would think that by this time you have actually had COVID you were simply asymptomatic. There is a lucky cohort of folks who simply don't show symptoms. My wife is in that boat. If the NAD simply makes you asymptomatic, no idea. But that's awesome regardless!

 

[SBrown]

I would think that by this time you have actually had COVID you were simply asymptomatic. There is a lucky cohort of folks who simply don't show symptoms. My wife is in that boat. If the NAD simply makes you asymptomatic, no idea. But that's awesome regardless!

Probably so; for whatever reason, it's really weird for me no longer get every cough that comes along. `And with everything out there right now, I should shut my piehole and wear a frigging respirator, after tempting the gods by talking about it!!

 

[Aeolian]

Probably so; for whatever reason, it's really weird for me no longer get every cough that comes along. `And with everything out there right now, I should shut my piehole and wear a frigging respirator, after tempting the gods by talking about it!!

Earlier this year I was a bit curious about whether or not NAD+ would help or hinder response to SARS-COV2 and other viruses. Apparently - ala the paper you linked - there has been work in this arena. An NIH paper I saw indicated that viral replication disproportionately used NAD+. Thus depleting immune system access. Using terminology similar to the one you linked, they referred IIRC to Covid infection as an "NAD+ battlefield"... The *speculation* was that NAD+ supplementation could aid a rapid immune response. I found a few other similar random papers & informed speculation. Some googling might turn up the NIH funded one directly.

Well, I just decided to dig some of them up...

NAD+ in COVID-19 and viral infections - PMC

NAD+, as an emerging regulator of immune responses during viral infections, may be a promising therapeutic target for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). In this Opinion, we suggest that interventions that boost NAD+ levels might promote antiviral ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Viral infection as an NAD+ battlefield - PMC

Coronavirus replication results in expenditure of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), the central catalyst of cellular metabolism, in the innate response to infection. Repleting NAD+ levels has the potential to enhance antiviral responses.

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Rationale for Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) Metabolome Disruption as a Pathogenic Mechanism of Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome - PubMed

Many acute COVID-19 convalescents experience a persistent sequelae of infection, called post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS). With incidence ranging between 31% and 69%, PACS is becoming increasingly acknowledged as a new disease state in the context of SARS-CoV-2 infection. As SARS-CoV-2...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

etc...

 

[eok]

The first covid variant hit me very hard at the beginning of the pandemic. I was quite sick for about 1.5 months. It started out like a mild cold, then around day 6 or so it was like the covid train to hell. Then after seemingly kicking the infection, I went for months experiencing episodes of mild symptoms and major fatigue. The episodes would last a few days of so and then fade away over a few more days. Time between episodes was about 1-2 weeks. Each episode was somewhat less impactful than the previous. Eventually, vaccines became available (the two dose regime). After getting my 1st shot the cycle of diminishing symptom episodes ended. But...

I unexpectedly discovered I had thyroid & some benign heart rhythm issues. It took months to get the thyroid sorted out and on a treatment plan (typical hypothyroid). Heart rhythm resolved after several months. Hypothyroid was supposedly partly to blame. Anyway, I just walked more and cut my coffee consumption dramatically. It's inconclusive the thyroid issue was an after-effect of covid. Technically possible but no way to really prove it.

Fastforward...

Came down with Omicron around May 2023. Lasted a couple weeks, no lasting symptoms but kicked my butt. Then, suddenly, I could no longer tolerate statins. I was experiencing escalating tendon pain all over. I hit the panic button when both my Achilles were so bad I literally could not walk. So, I was taken off statins. In exchange, I do plain oatmeal every AM and - when I eat a rich meal - I take a Red Yeast Rice tablet. Basically, sticking to a low fat diet. I'm due for a lipid panel soon to confirm it's working - but my numbers were not bad before.

This summer I felt I was getting close to my pre-covid fitness. Best I've felt in years. Just eating right, staying active and getting good sleep.

Fastforward...

Last week (11/18), I tested positive for covid. My wife is fine and continues to test negative.

We had just previously got the updated booster, but it hadn't been long enough for max effect. This time it was like a bad cold for for me for 5 days, with periods of elevated pulse (80-95BPM), mild chest involvement and weird pain in the shoulders. Also, during the worst of it I had some heart rhythm issues off an on. Thanksgiving was day 6 and that's when symptoms (except for being pooped) completely faded away. Feeling great today. Starting light exercise again.

I was pretty impressed how well I was able to fight off this variant this time around. The worst part of the infection was just three days - with the evenings being the worst.

Nonetheless, after my first brush with the first covid variant, I remain paranoid about it doing something unpredictable. If I remain good for the next couple weeks I'll relax.

Just a follow-up:

After day 6 I remained symptom free but it took another 7 days to consistently test negative. About two weeks later I began to feel more fatigued for a week (no shortness of breath). Some mild symptoms followed for two or three days (still testing negative, no fever) then quickly went away. So far, no further reappearance of symptoms or unusual fatigue & I've been doing great. Covid is weird.